


Something Blue

by bauer



Series: Delta [2]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Established Relationship, Fantastic Sexism, M/M, Relationship Issues, just a pinch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 19:06:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9507926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bauer/pseuds/bauer
Summary: A bracelet doesn't need to mean much, really.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Taking some shorter prompts on my tumblr, this is the result of one of them.
> 
> [Inspo](http://avengersageofultron.tumblr.com/post/156496408530)

They’re watching TV in the Matthews’ living room, Mitch’s head reclined in Auston’s lap. His fingers trace over Mitch’s neck, casual, and Mitch doesn’t think anything of it until Auston says, “When are you going to let me put a collar on you?”

Mitch squawks, laughs, squirms, then tries to relax when Auston’s fingers hold him down under his jaw, lightly. He lets go when Mitch settles back down, goes back to tracing lines under his ears and over his Adam’s apple. He can probably feel it when Mitch says, “Is your locking up compulsion a Catholic thing?”

Auston rolls his eyes, and says, “Yeah, I’m real devout, with all the extramarital fucking and all.” 

 _“Auston, your dad!”_ Mitch hisses, this time actually flailing away. Honestly, Brian is probably completely wired into whatever a technology officer does in his office, blissfully ignoring the horde of young men who drift in and out of his apartment. Mitch’s face still burns. He doesn’t go far though, and Auston grabs onto his hand, thumbing over his knuckles.

“I’m being serious,” Auston says. “I want people to know you’re mine.”

“I don’t think anyone in Toronto has missed that memo,” Mitch scoffs.

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it. I want _us_ to be serious. You know I’m not really into some more traditional stuff,” Auston says, turning over Mitch’s hand, fingers sliding down to his wrist. Mitch thinks of how this is probably the most Auston’s ever scented him outside of sex. He’s not going to have an excuse to wash it all off before he has to leave. “But I think I’d like people seeing me on you.”

“I dunno,” Mitch says, swallowing. “I haven’t been collared, since, like, those stupid pipe-cleaner-and-beads things from elementary school. I just. It feels like a lot. Really quick.” Four months isn't quick, for a lot of people. Mitch's parents love telling people how they just knew, not a full day after they met.

“Collars are easier to break than bonds.” Auston doesn’t even say it judgmentally, a simple statement of fact. Mitch’s stomach cramps.

“It’s different,” Mitch reiterates.

Auston doesn’t respond immediately, instead looking down to their hands. He closes his fingers in a circle around Mitch’s wrist, and asks, “If I got you _something_ , would you wear it?"

“Probably,” Mitch says, because he would.

 

—

 

The thing is, Mitch knows lot of the omegas would die for a collar, for an alpha as steady as Auston.

Over the last year, Mitch has watched from afar as the omegas he grew up with let themselves get locked down, dragged around by their alpha's ambition. He's not super close with a lot of them: in peewee no one wanted too many on one team, by juniors everyone who couldn't cut it was gone, and in high school it'd been more important to be one of the boys than to have someone to paint your toenails and talk heat pains with. Now, there's no one to talk to about this, if they made the right choice. He probably knows what everyone would say, anyway. He did the hard part. He has his roster spot, people's respect, a good alpha who won't make him choose. Everything's falling into place. 

Mitch should be _ecstatic_. It doesn't get any better than this.

 

—

 

It really isn't a surprise when Auston takes him out later that week, just the two of them. They go a nice steakhouse, of course, and Auston doesn’t say anything when Mitch gets the biggest hunk of meat on the menu. He doesn’t say anything when Mitch can’t finish it, either, just keeps _looking_ at him. Enamored.

He really does like him.

They get dessert, a _raspberry petit gateau_ that food critics call seductive but just tastes like cake and fruit to Mitch. Mitch gets distracted stealing the last bit of whipped cream, but when he looks up, Auston has a small velvet bag in his hand.

“Oh,” Mitch says. He’s not sure what he should be doing for this, if there’s some special way to present. He’s worried he has chocolate on his face.

Auston doesn’t appear bothered by what Mitch is or isn’t doing, instead opening the bag and putting out a small, thin bracelet. Simple. Mitch like it. He knows it’s not out of style for this type of thing.

“Um, do you-” Auston starts, holding his hands out.

“Oh! Uh, yeah? Yes. I do?” Auston laughs, and Mitch holds out his arm. Auston’s careful as he puts it on. It’s snug, but Mitch thinks it’s supposed to be that way. 

“It’s Louis Vuitton,” Auston says, bragging just a little.

“Oh, we’re bad and boujee, eh?” Mitch responds. Auston laughs again, so, so happy.

Mitch looks at him, and thinks, _Is it we? Do people need to see me on you, too?_

On the ride back to the apartment, Mitch slides his thumb nail into the bracelet’s clasp, just to see. It comes undone easily. He redoes it before Auston can notice.

 

—

 

The thought nags at him. Auston’s an All-Star. He’s going to LA, and Mitch is staying behind. Anyone who sees him is going to see the bracelet. No one who sees Auston would know unless he told them.

Which, like, he does, but that’s not the point.

Mitch sneaks downtown by himself, before Auston leaves. The store is sparse, filled with the sort of things he might get as a gift to his mother (or Ema, soon, god) or collars, and alphas don’t wear _collars-_

He’s happy when the employee walks up to him, even though he couldn’t tell if the carnivorous look in her eyes is for the commission or because she recognizes him. “My alpha is going on a business trip without me,” he blurts out, almost before she can ask.

He takes one from the first batch she brings out, two separate pieces of overlapping leather.

 

—

 

"Hey, if you want to come and see for yourself, you're more than welcome," They’re lying on Auston’s bed, taking a break from packing.Only Auston's suits have made it into the suitcases before they started bickering about LA weather, and now apparently Auston wants to smuggle Mitch in, too.

"No way," Mitch scoffs.

"Why not? People bring dates all the time," Auston says. Mitch already knows Auston's bringing his family. They're good people, Mitch likes the Matthews women, but the thought of seeing them now inspires a wave of dread.

"It's different as a player. I'll go when I get invited," Mitch says instead. Auston gets this soft look, and before he can start talking Mitch continues, “I got you something to remember me by, though!” Auston's eyebrows go up, and Mitch scrambles for his own little black bag.

Mitch isn’t sure how he expected Auston to respond, but of course he loves it. His bracelet is a little harder to get on, but it looks great on Auston, strong. “It’s also Louis Vuitton,” Mitch says, in case the engraved buckle wasn’t enough. And (Mitch knew he wasn’t supposed to know this) it’s more expensive than the one Auston got him.

Auston kisses him, slow and deep, hand on Mitch's neck. After, he says, “Thank you so much, babe. I love you.”

Mitch swallows, and says, “I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Aforementioned tumblr.](http://ratbarnaby.tumblr.com) Very NSFW.


End file.
